logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2024
38m 4s

F1 race suits, boots + gloves: what F1 d...

FORMULA 1
About this episode
When F1 drivers get dressed for a race, safety is the number one priority. Their gloves, balaclavas, boots, suits and underwear protect them from fire and heat. But race kit can't slow them down. It needs to be light, comfortable and breathable, with a few special features built-in to help them perform at their best. 

Maurizio Sicco, Consultant at PUMA Motorsport and racewear expert tells Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill all about F1 race kit, how it's designed and tested, and the special requests drivers make for their customised gear. 


Send us your F1 question and we'll find the expert to answer it
Write an email or record a voice note and send it to F1Explains@F1.com

Learn more about F1 with our previous episodes:

More Official F1 Podcasts
  • For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid 
  • For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation
Up next
Yesterday
Marshals: The ‘first line of safety for F1 drivers’
Without marshals, we wouldn't be able to go racing. In their bright orange jumpsuits, they're hard to miss. Hundreds of them are dotted around the track to ensure the safety of all the drivers competing in every series during a Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend. So how do they keep dr ... Show More
30m 57s
Oct 2
The Medical Car: 'the world's fastest ambulance'
When F1 drivers crash, the FIA Medical Car rushes to the scene. It's a high-performance machine with a racing driver at the wheel and a doctor in the passenger seat. The Medical Car crew, Dr Ian Roberts and driver Bruno Correia, answer your questions about their vital jobs. They ... Show More
35m 49s
Sep 25
Alex Albon explains night races, car numbers + helmet designs
How different is driving at night compared to racing during the day? What impact does being a celebrity have on an F1 drivers’ life? How are car numbers decided? And what’s the process behind designing a special helmet? Williams’ Alex Albon joins Christian Hewgill in the Formula ... Show More
20m 4s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
REVISITED: Martin Brundle on the best F1 cars of each decade
Season 5 of F1: Beyond The Grid starts with a brand-new episode on Wednesday 16th March. With just days to go before we see the new 2022 cars go wheel to wheel, we revisit an episode from 2020 when Martin Brundle joined Tom to discuss the best F1 cars he’s ever driven. The Briton ... Show More
1h 6m
Mar 2023
Shocks at the start - Bahrain GP Review ft Newey, Stroll, Schumacher + Sargeant
Fernando Alonso’s podium, Charles Leclerc’s retirement, Red Bull’s pace advantage; the 2023 F1 season started with some shocks. We hear from Max Verstappen and Alonso, then Red Bull’s victorious Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey tells Tom Clarkson and Natalie Pinkham there wer ... Show More
49m 54s
Jul 2022
Mike Krack: Vettel + Massa’s mentor, aiming high at Aston Martin
He’s the newest member of ‘The Piranha Club’ – the nickname for the ruthlessly competitive group of F1 Team Principals. Aston Martin’s Mike Krack is not a newcomer to F1, however. A former European go-kart racer, Mike earned his engineering stripes with Sauber in the early 2000s, ... Show More
50m 26s
Mar 2022
Susie Wolff: racer, role model, risk-taker
From the age of 8, Susie Wolff dreamed of making it in motorsport. Formula 1 was her goal. In 2014 she got her chance – driving for Williams in Free Practice at the British Grand Prix, becoming the first woman to drive in an official F1 session for more than two decades. She tell ... Show More
57m 36s
May 2022
Max’s Miami masterclass, Ferrari’s fightback + the next US F1 star?
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is on a roll. He took his second straight win on F1’s first visit to Miami, but Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz kept Ferrari at the top of both championships. Which team’s got the upper hand heading to Barcelona? Tom Clarkson and Sam Power are joined by ... Show More
42m 27s
Jun 2023
Stefano Domenicali: driving F1 forward
What does the future hold for Formula 1? New races? New teams? New rules? F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali answers all these questions and many more in an intriguing chat with Tom Clarkson.  Domenicali knows what success tastes like. He won multiple World Championships as ... Show More
55m 29s
Apr 2022
Adrian Newey on F1's best car – Imola review ft. Esteban Ocon + Christian Horner
Which team now has the fastest car in F1: Red Bull or Ferrari? Red Bull’s legendary designer Adrian Newey gives F1 Nation his take on the continuing race for upgrades, and the team’s dominant 1-2 finish in Imola. For a packed show, Tom Clarkson’s joined by 9-time Le Mans 24 Hours ... Show More
50m 2s
Jun 2023
Red Bull’s homecoming, Ferrari moving forward + we build the ‘ultimate World Champion’ – Austrian GP preview ft McLaren’s Andrea Stella
Red Bull return to their home race in Austria having joined an exclusive club of constructors to win 100 Grands Prix, after Max Verstappen’s victory in Canada. The Dutchman is now 69 points clear of teammate Sergio Perez in the drivers’ standings and plenty more are on offer this ... Show More
1h 9m
Jul 2023
Home heroes + Red Bull records – British GP review ft Lando’s dad, Horner + Albon
Two British drivers on the podium. A record-equalling 11th straight win for Red Bull. The 2023 British Grand Prix will go down in history. Max Verstappen took his sixth win in a row at Silverstone, but McLaren stole the headlines with Lando Norris' first home podium and Oscar Pia ... Show More
51m 20s
May 2022
Alexander Rossi: twists, turns and tragedy on the road to F1
Growing up in Northern California, a young Alexander Rossi dreamed of racing in Formula 1. His route was not an easy one. Along the way he experienced false starts, unfulfilled promises, behind the scenes power moves and the tragic loss of his friend and teammate Jules Bianchi. A ... Show More
53m 36s